Death Studies Tool Kit
A global atlas of death education, culture, and research
Global Map of Death Studies
Explore research centers, associations, and networks dedicated to death studies around the world.
Academic Degrees in Death, Dying & Thanatology
A curated list of academic and professional programs worldwide
🌎 Americas
Thanatology – King’s University College (Western University)
Thanatology Programs – Tyndale University
Instituto Mexicano de Tanatología
Aging and Applied Thanatology (Certificate) – University of Maryland
Master of Science in Thanatology – Edgewood College
Thanatology (Certificate, Online) – Hood College
Thanatology, Advanced Certificate (Online) – Brooklyn College (CUNY)
Portland Institute for Loss and Transition
🇪🇺 Europe
Loss & Bereavement MSc – RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
Master in Death Studies & the End of Life – University of Padua (UniPd)
Death, Dying and Bereavement (Module) – The Open University
End of Life Studies MSc/PgDip/PgCert – University of Glasgow
MA Death, Religion and Culture – University of Winchester
🌏 Asia
Master’s (Doctoral) Program in Death and Life Studies – Sophia University
Academic Journals
A selection of key peer-reviewed journals in Death Studies, Thanatology, and related interdisciplinary research.
Death Studies
Leading international journal covering psychological, sociological, and cultural aspects of death and dying.
Eastern and North European Journal of Death Studies
Open-access journal focusing on death and society in Eastern and Northern Europe.
Jahrbuch für Tod und Gesellschaft (Annual Review of Death and Society)
German-language annual publication addressing social, cultural, and educational perspectives on death.
Mortality
Interdisciplinary journal exploring death, dying, and bereavement from cultural and social perspectives.
OMEGA – Journal of Death and Dying
Multidisciplinary journal focusing on end-of-life care, grief, and death education.
Journal of Near-Death Studies
Peer-reviewed publication dedicated to research on near-death experiences and consciousness studies.
Studi Tanatologici
Italian journal published by Fondazione Fabretti, promoting interdisciplinary death studies research.
Book Series
A selection of academic book series devoted to Death Studies, Thanatology, and the cultural, social, and historical analysis of death and dying.
Death and Agency: Interdisciplinary Studies on the End of Life
Publishes in German
Death and Culture
Publishes in English
Death in a Chocolate Box
Publishes in English and Italian (accepts proposals in any language)
Death in History, Culture, and Society
Publishes in English
Emerald Studies in Death and Culture (no longer active)
Publishes in English
Research in Death Studies
Publishes in English
Studies in Death, Materiality and the Origin of Time
Publishes in English
Collana Tanatologica – Fondazione Fabretti (no longer active)
Publishes in Italian
Palgrave Historical Studies in the Criminal Corpse and its Afterlife (completed)
Publishes in English
Conferences
A selection of major conferences, symposia, and festivals dedicated to Death Studies, Thanatology, and End-of-Life research worldwide.
ADEC Annual Conference
USA – Every year – Association for Death Education and Counseling
AGS Conference and Annual Meeting
USA – Annual – Association for Gravestone Studies
Annual CDAS Conference
UK – Every year – Centre for Death and Society (University of Bath)
ASCE Conference
Global – Annual – Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe
Death & Culture Conference
UK – Every year – DaCNet, University of York
Death, Dying and Disposal Conference
Global – Every two years – Association for the Study of Death and Society (ASDS)
European Grief Conference
Europe – Every year
IAPDD Biennial Conference
Global – Biennial – International Association for the Philosophy of Death and Dying
International Death, Grief, and Bereavement Conference
USA – Every year – University of Wisconsin–La Crosse
Lifting The Lid – Festival of Death and Dying
Online – Every year
NIMO Annual Conference
Italy – Every year – Italian Network on Death and Oblivion
International Symposium of Death Online Research
UK – Every year – Northumbria University
Suicide Bereavement Conference
UK – Every year – Suicide Bereavement UK
Thanatic Ethics Conference
Global – Biennial – Thanatic Ethics Network
Festivals
Annual and international festivals exploring death, grief, and remembrance through culture, art, and education.
Good Grief Festival, UK
A festival that brings together voices from psychology, art, and culture to talk openly about grief.
Il Rumore del Lutto, Italy
The first Italian festival dedicated to death education, culture, and transformation through art.
Lifting the Lid – Festival of Death and Dying (Online)
An international online event opening conversations on dying, death, and grieving in creative ways.
Death Literacy Festival, Bengaluru (India)
A creative space for exploring death literacy, ritual, and care practices in South Asia.
The Keening – Arts Festival for the Irish Wake
A celebration of traditional and contemporary rituals of mourning, rooted in Irish cultural heritage.
Miscellanea
A selection of independent initiatives, online platforms, and creative projects exploring death, dying, mourning, and remembrance from diverse cultural perspectives.
Amateur’s Guide to Death and Dying
Art of Dying Institute
Death Positive
Thanatos Archive
Death and Culture
Death & the Maiden
Death Reference Desk
Death Salon
Morbid Anatomy
Necro Tourist
Open Thanatology Hub
Si Può Dire Morte
Talk Death
Victorian Book of the Dead
What’s Your Grief?
When You Die
Museums
A selection of museums worldwide dedicated to death, funerary culture, anatomy, and remembrance.
Tot Zover Museum, Amsterdam
The Bone Museum, New York
Mütter Museum, Philadelphia
Museum of Sepulchral Culture, Kassel (Germany)
The National Museum of Funeral History, Houston (USA)
Skeleton – Museum of Osteology, Sunnylane (USA)
Dunedin Museum of Natural Mystery, New Zealand
YouTube Channels
A selection of YouTube channels offering educational, artistic, and personal perspectives on death, dying, and bereavement.
Ask a Mortician
Hosted by Caitlin Doughty, exploring death culture, the funeral industry, and mortality with humor and insight.
The Grief Channel
Interviews, reflections, and stories to help people navigate grief, loss, and emotional healing.
End of Life University
Educational videos and talks exploring conscious dying, end-of-life care, and death positivity.
Thanatology Up to Date
A playlist featuring discussions on thanatology, death education, and the study of dying and grief.
Digital Legacy Podcast
Video podcast exploring digital afterlife, online memorials, and our virtual relationship with death.
Gritty Side of Grace
Honest and spiritual reflections on death, dying, faith, and the beauty found in grief.
